The present invention relates generally to straps for securing or restraining items or for any other suitable use. For example, an exemplary embodiment of a strap may be used for securing gear, cargo, or any other suitable item that needs to be secured or restrained. Other uses are also possible and considered to be within the scope of the present invention. Thus, it is not intended to limit an exemplary embodiment of a strap to any particular use, unless expressly claimed otherwise.
For example, when transporting gear, cargo, or other items on a moving vehicle, it often becomes necessary to restrain the items from movement due to, among other things, directional changes, vibrations, or the wind. Further, people often use straps to tie down the trunk lid for items that are too large to fit within a closed trunk. In addition, people often tie oddly shaped items to the top of the vehicles or in a truck-bed.
Currently, a wide variety of strapping devices are in wide use for securing cargo on vehicles, tying down trunk lids, and holding down tarpaulins, tents, and other miscellaneous items. Examples of these strapping devices include bungee cords, woven synthetic straps, chains, and ropes. Bungee cords are generally formed as elongate, tubular elastic members, and some include a fabric covering. These bungee cords typically include a hook disposed at each end.
Some present examples of elastic straps have a common method of manufacture. Such elastic straps are commonly made from a material called Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer (i.e., EPDM). EPDM has traditionally been compression molded to create many current elastic straps on the market. A high temperature is needed to compression mold EPDM material into a desired shape. Many other materials cannot withstand such a high temperature, thereby making it difficult to bond EPDM to other materials. Consequently, holes are commonly provided in the ends of some EPDM compression molded elastic straps, which receive metal hooks to form many of the adjustable elastic straps on the market today.
Additionally, in the manufacture of elastic straps utilizing EPDM, during the compression molding process there may exist air pockets that never get filled with the EPDM material, thereby weakening the final product. Also, there may exist a certain high degree of scrap loss due to the cutting of the EPDM to size. Furthermore, the manufacturing time for EPDM tie-down straps is to a large measure dependant upon EPDM's drying time.
Each of the above elastic straps such bungee cords have drawbacks. A common drawback of many elastic straps such as bungee cords is the dangerously perched metal hooks at the ends of the straps. From overuse or improper use, these hooks have a dangerous tendency to snap off, bend, straighten out, or disengage from the strap. These malfunctions present a danger to the user, particularly ocular and other types of bodily injury. In fact, there exist multiple articles and studies done on eye injuries resulting from metal hooks that bend or otherwise malfunction when the straps are stretched.
Another common drawback of many elastic straps is that it is difficult for the user to stretch the strap to its maximum capability in order to secure an object due to the strap's slippery, elongated, cylindrical design. The more tension the user places upon the strap to stretch it, the more difficult it is for the user to actually hold onto it while attempting to secure or restrain an item. Since the strap at its maximum stretch capacity is also at its most difficult to grasp and hold, there exists the greatest danger for the strap to slip out of the user's hand and wildly snap an end of the strap with a hook, thereby presenting a significant risk of injury to those nearby. In addition, many common elastic straps, particularly excessively aged straps, may break when stretched, which also presents a major risk of injury to those nearby. A common problem is that there are no warnings or notices on traditional elastic straps. As a result, users of common elastic straps may be unaware of the age, suggested life span, or maximum amount of tension under which common elastic straps may properly function.
Under any of the aforementioned situations, the end of the strap and hook may fly at speeds in excess of 60 miles per hour. Such velocity leaves little time for those nearby to react to prevent injury. Thus, there is a significant need for an improved strap that may reduce or eliminate some or all such drawbacks of common straps.
Yet another drawback common to many straps is the lack of available attachment locations on the device itself. For example, when tying down an object with a bungee cord, there typically exists limited anchoring positions to which one of the end hooks may attach. Furthermore, many straps provide significantly limited options for securing one strap to another strap.
Finally, a primary drawback to the chain tie down device is the chain's lack of elasticity and the chain's excessive weight compared with other devices.
Various tie-down straps have been devised, which fail to adequately address some of the drawbacks mentioned above. Accordingly, a great need has arisen for a versatile, adjustable, lightweight, one-piece, elastic tie-down device of which hooks or other attachment members disposed at each end of the device may not snap or disengage in any manner from the strap, thereby reducing or eliminating the potential for injury. Additionally, non-slip gripping areas for the hand are needed when the user attempts to stretch the elastic cord to its maximum capacity. Also, there is a need for warnings or notices on the body of the strap, so that users are properly informed for safe use of the strap. None of the currently-used strapping and hold-down devices have this combination of characteristics which would prove safer from malfunctioning or flying straps, hooks, or attachment members, as well as concurrently possessing a variety of multifunctional anchoring positions. An improved tie-down or strapping device having any combination of some or all of these characteristics would be safer and easier to use.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in known types of adjustable, elastic tie-downs, some exemplary embodiments of the present invention may provide for a lightweight, one-piece, adjustable, elastic strap with hooks or attachment members overmolded into at least one end of the strap creating an overmold casing, with non-slip grips on the outer surface of the resulting overmold casing. For instance, an adjustable, elastic strap of some exemplary embodiments of the present invention may include at least one hook or other attachment member, which may be at least one reinforcing metal (e.g., steel) component that is overmolded by a plastic material. The resulting hook or attachment member may extend from and be overmolded by an end of an elastic member. Furthermore, in some exemplary embodiments, anchor holes may be provided along the elastic member, and non-slip grips may be provided on the outer surface of any overmold casings. Furthermore, in some exemplary embodiments, warnings or notices (e.g., the manufacture date of the strap, the suggested life span, and/or the recommended maximum amount of tension) may be molded or otherwise provided on the elastic member. As a result, some exemplary embodiments of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, may provide an improved, adjustable, elastic, one-piece strap for securing or restraining items, which may have many of the advantages of known adjustable straps while eliminating or reducing any or all of the drawbacks of such straps.
In one exemplary embodiment, the hooks or attachment members at each end of an elongated, elastic strap may be comprised of a plastic material (e.g., rubber) within which is a reinforcing metal rod, thereby adding strength. For example, each molded hook may have a “U” shaped end and a relatively straight shaft end. Furthermore, in some exemplary embodiments, each molded hook or attachment member also may have multiple holes in the body or base of the plastic molding of the hook or attachment member, which may itself be overmolded via a suitable molding process (e.g., injection molding). These holes in the body or base of the hook or other attachment member may allow the overmolded material from the molding process to flow through the holes, thereby uniting the elastic member and the hook or other attachment member. For example, the overmolded plastic may bond (e.g., due to resin compatibility or the use of a bonding agent such as an adhesive or an epoxy) with the hook or other attachment member. The resultant overmolded area may be called an overmold casing. In such exemplary embodiments, this manufacturing method may secure hooks or other attachment members to each end of the elastic member, uniting the elastic member and the hooks or other attachment members as a single unit, via overmold casings. For example, the hooks or other attachment members on the ends of the elastic member may face in any desired direction(s) (e.g., the same or in opposite directions).
At each end of some exemplary embodiments of the elastic member, there may be raised ridges on the outer surface of the overmold casing, which may provide non-slip grip areas for the user's hand when the user stretches the elastic strap in order to secure an object. Optionally, a mid-point or other desired portion of the overmold casing may wider in diameter than either end of the elastic member. This expanded width may provide the user with a larger and ultimately safer and easier to use gripping area. Furthermore, an overmold casing may extend over a wide portion and a more narrow, distal portion of an attachment member, thereby reducing or eliminating a risk of the hook or other attachment member disengaging from the elastic member.
In some exemplary embodiments, there may openings along the body of the elastic member to allow for a secure place to insert hook ends when adjusting the strap or to allow for the combining of multiple hooks from other straps.
There may be no readily detachable parts of some exemplary embodiments of the present invention. Furthermore, the elastomer material (e.g., a thermoplastic elastomer) used for the body of the elastic member of some exemplary embodiments of the present invention may be easily colored while manufacturing the elastic strap. Also, the elastomer material may be adapted to glow in the dark.
Moreover, in an exemplary manufacturing method of a continuous, single-piece design, the materials used in the construction of the strap and an injection molding method of construction may allow for any or all of the following: (1) faster production cycles than that of the known art due to the faster drying times of the materials used in the injection molding process; (2) tighter tolerances (e.g., filling of air-space) because injection molding uses a fluid version of a plastic material (e.g., rubber) which pours into empty spaces, whereas EPDM is typically compression molded and sometimes contains air pockets within the compression molded object; (3) minimum scrap losses because molds may be pre-made exactly to specifications and poured therein; (4) the customization of the strength and rigidity of the elastic strap because ingredients (e.g., additives which harden or soften the elastomer) are available to be provided in the fluid plastic; and (5) a greater end product selection because the injection molding process (which may use lower temperatures) combined with the use of suitable plastics (e.g., thermoplastic rubbers or other plastics which may harden at lower temperatures) may facilitate the manufacture of improved products. Nevertheless, it should still be recognized that some exemplary embodiments of the present invention may utilize EPDM or may be manufactured using compression molding, unless expressly claimed otherwise.
Thus, in summary, an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may provide a new adjustable, lightweight, elastic tie-down strap that may prove to be safer from malfunctioning or flying hooks or other attachment members.
An exemplary embodiment of the present invention may provide a new adjustable, lightweight, elastic tie-down strap having molded rubberized hooks which are reinforced by a pre-bent metal rod and disposed on either end of the strap via overmolding, so that no parts comprising this exemplary tie-down strap may be detached without extreme difficulty or deliberateness during normal use. Other exemplary embodiments may simply include a metal or plastic hook or other attachment member. Other suitable materials may also be used in the manufacture of a hook or other attachment member in some exemplary embodiments of the present invention.
An exemplary embodiment of the present invention may also provide a new adjustable, lightweight, elastic tie-down strap with non-slip grips on either end of the strap and on the outer surface of the associated overmold casing, so that there will be less chance for the strap to slip out of the user's grip.
Furthermore, an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may provide a new adjustable, lightweight, elastic tie-down strap with an overmold casing that has the width substantially great enough to provide a large gripping area thereby creating a safer, easier to use strap.
In addition, an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may provide a new adjustable, lightweight, elastic tie-down strap with at least one attachment location for the strap's own hooks or for which to combine the hooks of multiple other straps.
An exemplary embodiment of the present invention may also provide a new adjustable, lightweight, elastic tie-down strap for securing gear/cargo that may be easily colored or glow in the dark to allow for new design opportunities in consumer applications.
Furthermore, an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may provide a new adjustable, lightweight, elastic tie-down strap to secure gear/cargo which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
Moreover, an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may provide a new adjustable, lightweight, elastic tie-down strap to secure gear/cargo which may be constructed of a wide range of materials.
Finally, an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may provide a new adjustable, lightweight, elastic tie-down strap for securing gear/cargo that provides some or all of the advantages of the known art, while simultaneously overcoming some or all of the disadvantages normally associated therewith.
These advantages, together with other advantages and novel features of exemplary embodiments of the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the detailed description and claims forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of exemplary embodiments of the invention, its operating advantages, and the specific advantages attained by its uses, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated exemplary embodiments of the invention. In addition to the novel features and advantages mentioned above, other features and advantages will be readily apparent from the following descriptions of the drawings and exemplary embodiments.
Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.